custom ad
SportsOctober 24, 2007

Bell City senior Rachel Spears certainly has a one-track mind these days. After the Cubs played in the Class 1 state volleyball championship tournament the past two years but failed to bring home a title either time, she wants it this year -- badly...

Bell City's Jessica Abner spiked over a Bernie player during the first game Tuesday of the Class 1 District 2 championship match at Advance High School.  Bell City advanced to the sectional round with a 25-10, 25-12 victory. (Aaron Eisenhauer)
Bell City's Jessica Abner spiked over a Bernie player during the first game Tuesday of the Class 1 District 2 championship match at Advance High School. Bell City advanced to the sectional round with a 25-10, 25-12 victory. (Aaron Eisenhauer)

~ Cubs claimed their fifth straight title with a sweep of Bernie.

Bell City senior Rachel Spears certainly has a one-track mind these days.

After the Cubs played in the Class 1 state volleyball championship tournament the past two years but failed to bring home a title either time, she wants it this year -- badly.

"We don't have any more chances, and I just really, really, really want to win," Spears said. "It's all that's on my mind right now. Everybody wants it bad. Jenny [Lathum] and Jess [Abner] and everybody wants it bad, and I know how bad they want it because we hang out and talk about how bad we want it."

Spears and the rest of the Cubs players got one step closer Tuesday night to their ultimate goal. Spears tallied six kills and eight digs, helping Bell City sweep Bernie 25-10, 25-12 at Advance High School to win the Class 1 District 2 championship for the fifth straight year.

Bell City's Codie Lancaster passed the ball to a teammate during the second game of the Class 1 District 2 championship match Tuesday against Bernie at Advance High School. (Aaron Eisenhauer)
Bell City's Codie Lancaster passed the ball to a teammate during the second game of the Class 1 District 2 championship match Tuesday against Bernie at Advance High School. (Aaron Eisenhauer)

Spears and Abner, who had eight kills, were a force near the net all night, either smashing shots or strategically tapping them over for points. And they were also frequently jumping side-by-side on the right of the net to block kill attempts by the Bernie offense.

"That's one of the most fun parts of volleyball," Spears said. "They think they're getting a kill, and we're like, 'Wham, right back down.' We've just been blocking together for so long it's not a big deal for us to do it together."

Spears and her teammates treated their win Tuesday just like a mid-season victory. The normal celebration followed, as the Cubs are not happy with just a district title. They want the big one.

For Spears, Abner and Lathum -- the only three seniors on the team and who have all started for four years -- they finished in fourth place in the state last year, placed third in 2005 and lost in the quarterfinals as freshman in 2004.

Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!

Erin Hoffman, who has been the Cubs' coach for five years, and won the Class 1 state title in her first season, understands the urgency of her three seniors.

Bell City's Rachel Spears bumps the ball during the championship game.
Bell City's Rachel Spears bumps the ball during the championship game.

"They were all in eighth grade and seventh grade [during the state championship] and they watched those girls, and they were like, 'We want to do that,'" Hoffman said. "Of course, this year we're not going to be happy with just getting there. This group has gotten third and fourth, and they're tired of it."

Spears dislocated her right ankle in the second game of the 2006 first-round robin match at the state tournament. Abner said the team lost focus once they knew they would be without Spears, who Abner called the leader of the team.

"We choked," Abner said. "I think it was a big thing when Rachel got hurt, and we kind of just froze up from there. I think it was because she's such a big leader on the court and no one really stepped up to take her place."

Spears said she has not felt any pressure with the high expectations this year.

Smiles appeared on all the Cubs' faces in the midst of the match with Bernie and the players joked around with one another throughout both games. Even when Spears had a serving error into the net while trying for the match point, all her teammates shared a good laugh together.

"We just all connect so well and we all have fun and just joke around," Abner said. "I think this year is the best we've had and it has been the most fun out of all the rest of the teams."

Spears said she does not think she and her teammates will feel the pressure as the playoffs progress. She said they need to keep it light to win.

"When we play bad is when we get serious," Spears said. "Why we played so well tonight is because we were having a crazy fun time out there. And when we do that, we hit it really, really hard and it's hard for [the other team] to pick it up."

Advertisement

Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:

For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.

Advertisement
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!